The Fáberige grows in
cool, mild conditions, usually with gentle rainfall. In spring, their short
stems are emblished with tiny white flowers of petite and delicate make, framed
by broad leaves. When the spring turns to summer, these petals fall and by late
summer and spring are replaced by luscious heart-shaped
fruits, whose skin is covered with tiny yellow seeds. The plant is known for
this fruit, which is very popular both for its delicious taste and for its
charming shape.

Appearance. The
Fáberige grows close to the ground, almost like a vine would, though it grows
far slower than most vines. They also have fairly short stems and a rather
shallow root system. The stems themselves are usually a yellowy green hue,
usually no more than half a nailsbreadth in diameter, and are covered with small
spines that protrude from the surface. The spines rarely grow over about a grain
long and are far thinner in diameter. Because of their small size, these spines
will not piece the skin, though they may cause discomfort or slight irritation
to the skin.

The leaves of the Fáberige are broad compared to their length, averaging 2 ½
nailsbreadths wide and a little over 3 nailsbreaths from where they leave their
leaf-stem to the tip of the leaf point. The leaves are relatively smooth for the
first 1/3 of the leaf follow its divergence from the leaf-stem, then becomes
serrated, jagged. The leaf itself is colored in a hue similar to the stem,
though the leaves will sometimes be a darker shade of green.

Often the Fáberige will have blooms in mid to late spring. Its flowers are
usually rather petite, being just over a nailsbreadth in diameter. It has white,
rounded little leaves and a yellow center from which stamen protrude in clusters
about the center perimeter. The sepals of thee flowers are rather large, and
often the furry sepal tips can be seen sticking out between the petals. The
flowers have a fresh and pleasant odor that seems to remind many of spring. It
is sometimes said among the hobbits, who
often grow the Fáberige that, “it isn’t truly spring until the Fáberige flower
blooms”.

In early and mid summer the small, delicate white petals of the Fáberige flower
falls away and the sepals remain. From there, the Fáberige fruit begins to grow,
which is what the plant is known for. Fáberige fruit usually starts out greenish
white, but as it ripens, it slowly becomes a bright red or blue, depending on
the plant. The fruit itself can grow in a number of shapes depending, but most
have a shape roughly similar to that of a heart. Over the outside of the fruit,
on the skin, grows yellow seeds, only a few grains long. The fruit varies in
size depending on the weather, but averages about 3 ½ nailsbreadths. The fruit
is very sweet after it has ripened around late summer or fall.

Territory.
The Fáberige will grow in any number of soil conditions, but prefers areas with
a rather mild climate. They tend to prefer cool areas with decent rainfall, and
thus are known for growing a few strals inland from the seas or sometimes near
lakes and rivers where it is sure to rain often. They need plenty of
sunlight, though, to give their fruit a
rich shape juicy inside. They are known for growing in places throughout
Sarvonia, though usually in mid and
southern Sarvonia, and in parts of
Nybelmar and
Denilou.

They can be grown as a crop in almost any place if the above requirements are
meant, but in Santharia will grow wild on
the Aurora Plain, the Heath of Jernais,
the Steppe of Kruswick, and other plain-like areas. They will even sprout on the
edge of some forests such as the Quallian,
Auturian, and
Zeiphyrian. As crops, the
Elvergroundis known to produce thousands upon thousands of bushels
each year. They thrive as well in
hobbit shires, like the Alanian Hills. They
are an easy plant, by any means, to grow.

Usages.
The Fáberige fruit is a delicious fruit that is much loved both for its taste
and its shape. Fáberige fruit is often used in pastries and deserts. They can be
used to make tarts and even pies, sometimes. They can be dipped in thick,
sweetened milk as a delicious snack or after-dinner treat, or dipped in
kao-kao cream. Some even chop
them up and put them in cereals. Many, however, simply enjoy eating them plain,
sweet and juicy as they are.

Fáberige fruit is often made into jelly. In fact, it is one of the more popular,
if not the most popular, kind of jelly in
Santharia. It is a delicious addition to
breads and is sometimes used as fill for pastries. However, the uses of the
Fáberige fruit do not stop there. If allowed to ferment, the Fáberige fruit can
be made into delicious wine, either colored a romantic purple or a delightful
whitish-yellow, depending on the color of the skin. The wine is usually rather
sweet.

The shape of the Fáberige tends to add a certain charm to the fruit itself. Many
think it to be a fruit of
childhood and love because of its heart-shape, though the love it seems to
symbolize it more one of a child’s affection for their parent or the love a
sibling to another. It has also come to be thought of as
the taste of summer turning to fall, when it is usually harvested.

Reproduction.
The flowers of the Fáberige plant bloom in mid to late spring, giving the air a
sweet fragrance. Through this flower, one plant can share pollen with another
plant in the area with the help of malises,
flies, or other such insects, or even by the
wind. If there are no other plants around, the plant can pollenate itself.
When summer begins to move in, the petals fall away and the fruit begins to
grow, starting from a greenish white, but ripening into a vivid red or blue.

The Fáberige grows seeds on its skin, and though it is true that these can be
used to grow new Fáberige
plants, it is not a method that is commonly used,
because its success rate is rather low. The Fáberige plant sends out shoots from
its main body, called “runners”, that reach out across the ground and eventually
release roots into the soil and begin forming a stem, thus creating a new
Fáberige plant. These new plants will then grow fruit of their own.

Myth/Lore.
Perhaps because of the time it is harvested or because of
the innocent love it symbolizes, the Fáberige and its fruit have come to
symbolize Dalireen, the Hobbit Deity of Bards and of Innocence. The harvest time
has always been a very joyous time for celebration, because the
hobbits are finally able to see the result
of the plants they sewed in spring. They see how well they did that year, and
how many crops were brought in. The fruits the harvest
brings in this time helps to reinforce the need to
celebrate. The Fall celebrations often include Fáberige fruit.

The Fáberige fruit has the shape of a heart, which is often thought
of as innocent love, like that of a child to a parent or to another sibling.
This innocence is something Dalireen has come to protect, and thus is commonly
thought of as being symbolized by this fruit. Those who do not believe in
Dalireen, for she is a hobbit deity, will
commonly associate the Fáberige with Jeyriall,
the Santharian
Goddess of the Harvest.